Bangalore Court convicts TN Chief Minister Jayalalithaa
Posted on September 27th, 2014
By Manjula Fernando- Daily News
A special court in Bangalore yesterday convicted Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa Jayaram, in an 18 year old, Indian Rs.66.65 crore disproportionate assets case, the Indian Media reported. After finding her guilty on all counts, the AIADMK leader has been served a four-year jail term and a Rs 100 crore fine.
The case against her was filed by Dr.Subramanian Swamy, senior BJP Leader in 1996 and was pursued by her arch rival, the DMK subsequently.
Jayaram was a champion of the Eelam cause and an alleged LTTE sympathiser. The Hindu in a live coverage reported that the incumbent Chief Minister had been convicted of all charges by the Special Court.
Three of her associates Sasikala Natarajan, her niece J.Ilavarasi and her nephew V.N.Sudhakaran were also convicted in the case heard by Special Judge John Michael D’Cunha.
The verdict was delivered at a makeshit court in the Parappana Agrahara prison complex in the presence of Jayalalithaa and the other accused.
It has been ruled that 66-year-old AIADMK Chief owned assets disproportionate to her known sources of income during 1991-96 when she was chief minister for the first time. Jayaram’s lawyers had argued that prosecution had undervalued her earlier assets, ignored other income and exaggerated her assets.
Since the incumbent leader has to resign after the verdict, Tamil Nadu may have to appoint a new Chief Minister, although there were two more years to the next election, media reports said.
She is the first serving Chief Minister in India to walk into jail in a corruption case.
Her lawyer said they will appeal the verdict in the High Court and seek bail.
The AIADMK Chief is expected to be arrested immediately and put under judicial custody. Even if the sentence is for four years the Chief Minister will not be allowed to contest in another election for six years. During the court proceedings, there was unprecedented security provided at DMK Minister’s residences in Chennai and parts of Tamil Nadu had suffered a blackout.
The court case was transferred to Bangalore in 2003 by the Supreme Court on a petition filed by DMK leader K.Anbazhagan, who expressed doubts over a fair trial in Tamil Nadu.
Following the verdict, the AIADMK supporters have taken to the streets and pelted stones at business establishments and buses. Stones have also been pelted at Dr.Swamy’s house in Chennai.
Her conviction will have huge ramifications in Tamil Nadu politics.
September 27th, 2014 at 3:42 pm
LAW OF KARMA EH ??
September 27th, 2014 at 3:44 pm
The mistress of SL born janitor MGR (later chief minister of Tamil Nadu), Jaya has been found guilty!!
MODI will not save this piece of racist junk.
Although she won 90% of Tamil people’s support Endia overruled them. Now she will be KICKED OUT of her post. Another Tamil racist will come to power. But ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST.
September 27th, 2014 at 6:49 pm
Jayalalithaa Jayaram had fought more than a dozen cases and was acquitted in most of them.
On Sept 21, 2001, Jayalalithaa Jayaram had to step down as Chief Minister following a Supreme Court verdict which struck down her appointment by the then Governor M Fathima Beevi as she then faced conviction in the TANSI land deal case.
The sentencing in the TANSI land deal case by a Chennai special court on October 9, 2000 barred Jayalalithaa Jayaram from contesting election in 2001 though Jayalalithaa Jayaram was later acquitted by the Madras High Court, a verdict upheld by the Supereme Court in November 2003. The Chennai Special court had sentenced Jayalalithaa Jayaram and her aide Sasikalaa to three years imprisonment in Jaya Publications case and two years in Sasi Enterprises case both linked to the TANSI land deal. Subsequently, when Jayalalithaa Jayaram filed papers to contest from four constituencies including Andipatti in the 2001 assembly polls all of them were rejected. The rejections were used effectively by the AIADMK during the poll campaign, and the party returned to power winning 132 of the 140 seats it contested.
Later, when Jayalalithaa Jayaram was appointed Chief Minister on May 14, 2001 by then Governor Fathima Beevi, the issue went to the Supreme Court and Jayalalithaa Jayaram had to step down.
Of the 14 cases filed against Jayalalithaa Jayaram during the DMK’s 1996-2001 regime, Jayalalithaa Jayaram was acquitted in several of them like the TANSI case.
In the Pleasant Stay Hotel case, Jayalalithaa Jayaram was acquitted by the Madras High Court on Dec 4, 2001. The case was linked to alleged clearance by Jayalalithaa Jayaram for the construction of a hotel in ecologically important Kodaikanal by flouting government rules. A special court had convicted Jayalalithaa Jayaram on Feb 2, 2000 and sentenced Jayalalithaa Jayaram to two separate one-year imprisonments running concurrently in the case.
Jayalalithaa Jayaram was also acquitted in the colour TV case. Interestingly, she was arrested based in this case after she lost power in 1996. On May 30, 2000, a special court acquitted her and the Madras High Court dismissed an appeal and upheld the acquittal on Aug 21, 2009.
In the Rs.280 million Spic disinvestment case, she was acquitted on Jan 23, 2004 by a special court.
In the Coal import deal case, she was dishcarged by a special court in 1999 which was upheld by Madras High Court. On appeal, the Supreme Court rejected her discharge and ordered a retrial. On Dec 27, 2001, a special court acquitted her again.
September 27th, 2014 at 7:05 pm
This case is about owning assets worth Rs 660 million which includes 2,000 acres of land, 66 lb of gold and 12,000 saris
September 28th, 2014 at 5:35 am
Tamil Madu should be put under DIRECT presidential rule.
Tamil racists are ruining Tamil Madu. It must be put under direct presidential rule. Otherwise Tamil Madu is a THREAT to Endia.
Now FAT Jaya can write LOVE LETTERS to Modi from the prison!
Tamil leadership must be DESTROYED. SL must learn from Endia HOW to destroy Tamil leadership.
September 28th, 2014 at 7:48 am
M G Ramachandran MGR Actor and a Chief Minister of is Tamil Nadu has been one of the key members in formulating the Indian policies towards Ceylon Sri Lanka. In his hey days and even today his pictures appear in a lot of Tamil households. In the sixties and seventies there was a prize for the Tamil woman in Ceylon who had the most children. The awards included a certificate signed by him. If I remember correct the award was called Ma Umma.
September 28th, 2014 at 1:33 pm
I wish we in Sri Lanka had judges of D’Cunha’s calibre and an intrepid public prosecutor to bring charges against corrupt politicians and their cronies who steal from the public purse with impunity.
September 28th, 2014 at 1:35 pm
In my opinion what the civil society all over Sri Lanka has to take note and very serious note is the substance of the indictment and the conviction.
The main substance of the conviction is: “…………CHIEF MINISTER OWNED ASSETS DISPROPORTIONATE TO HER KNOWN SOURCES OF INCOME DURING 1991-96”. This is what we should build into our own systems and round up all the looters of public funds and make while they are in power, irrespective of their being on whatever political shade. Every Parliamentarian before taking over oaths as a Member of the Legislature or Executive must be compulsorily made to make a declaration of his/her worth and annually make such a declaration to be “Audited” by the Auditor General and the Tax Authorities. If anyone fails to do so, must be prohibited from participation in public affairs and after summary proceedings appropriately punished including the confiscation of any assets earned that cannot be accounted for.
So let us divest from her other political involvements and take this land mark court case and develop our systems to correct our own “STABLE”. Let us learn good things to DO and put our house in order. In the present day context this is a NATIONAL NEED.
September 28th, 2014 at 1:45 pm
Micro and Douglas have MISSED THE POINT.
ALL chief ministers in Endia are CORRUPT. Some were even complicit in RIOTS. But they don’t get convicted.
Even FAT JAYA escaped this case for 15 years!
She was convicted only now because she became a THREAT TO ENDIA. That is the REAL REASON for her punishment.
FAT JAYA started to date American top politicians BYPASSING Endia. She started to have LTTE FRIENDS. She refused to join the DEMOCRATIC MAINSTREAM PARTIES. She created MANY rifts between Endia and SL. Finally she started to MESS UP with BJP strategist Swamy.
That was why she was convicted NOW.
I wish SL courts follow a SIMILAR line and convict Vigneswaran and send him to RIGOROUS imprisonment for 20 years. Anyway this will serve him as a lesson!